Grace's Bear

 

Grace was quite young, six years of age,
when she began to see the bear.
She remarked on his deep color,
chocolate brown, handsome, no doubt.
He always came by near day’s end,
and in the garden he would feast.  

She was glad to see her friend feast,
but, then, soon she began to doubt
that her Gram would graciously bear
raids on her fields, from end to end.
Gram was venerable in age,
and thieves put her in rare color.  

Tuesday Grace sat down to color
for what seemed to her just an age.
She wanted to capture the feast
of the glorious, big brown bear.
She wished there to be little doubt
of this, but she could see no end.

How can anyone make an end
of a picture with such color?
It was beautiful, none could doubt ,
showing skill belying her age –
such lush greens, for the eye a feast,
and the rich umber of the bear.

So, when Grace showed it to the bear,
and Gram saw them, then did she end
the ursine produce-robbing age,
but not the season of the feast.
That day, Gram showed her true color –
she loved bruins for true, no doubt!

And so, all the dark clouds of doubt
and fear which hung over the feast
were lifted, came to happy end.
Grace and Gram sat down to color,
and with them the overjoyed bear
danced, bringing in a new, bright age.

As our age draws near to an end,
we embrace color, dispel doubt –
with grace we bear with all, and feast.

                             – D. W. McMillen
                                31 January  2008

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